Kevin Tongue had already done what farmers are supposed to do in a crisis: get ahead of it. As the conflict in the Middle East began to ripple through oil markets, Tongue – who runs sheep and cattle, and grows grains near Tamworth, in north-east NSW – quickly secured supplies of fertiliser and 25,000 litres of diesel. For now, he is insulated. But only just. “If we’re busy with the farm machinery and the trucks, we can go through 30,000 litres of diesel a month,” Tongue says.
If the conflict with Iran drags on, Tongue says the consequences will not stay in the paddock. Diesel has already jumped about $1 a litre since his last order, meaning the same fuel would now cost an extra $25,000 – if he could get it at all. Some of his neighbours are already struggling to secure supplies.
